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Early Spring Wildflower Sampler

At last – an opportunity to view more than just a couple of species of wildflowers in bloom! Our spring has been very reluctant to arrive. Indeed, it seems to me that many wildflower species are about at least two weeks behind their respective typical schedule of the appearance of first blooms.

I accepted today’s sunshine after last evening’s severe weather alerts as a “welcome mat” to the outdoors. I chose to amble along the Settlers Hill Natural Area trail in the Town of Clifton Park, which is comprised of two different segments –

East trail: Beginning at Gloucester Street, this trail segment heads south across Clifton Park Center Road, Michelle Drive, Waverly Place, Summerlin Drive and Avenue of the Oaks (twice) before terminating a short distance south of 4 Leaf Manor.

West trail: Beginning at either access point off Addison Way or Fairhill Road, these two access trails will intersect and then this trail segment heads west across Moe Road before generally heading south and terminating at Wildflower Drive.

This is one of three destinations at which I am currently conducting wildflower inventories during 2018. The other two destinations include the Community Connector Trail (Towns of Clifton Park and Halfmoon) and Fox Preserve (Town of Colonie). I hope to prepare a wildflower field guide for each destination for release in spring 2019.

Today’s sunshine not only prompted me to get outside, it also coaxed a number of species to open their blooms for my viewing pleasure. Thought I’d share with you what I observed.

Common Dandelion

Ground Ivy

Wild Strawberry

Trout Lily

Coltsfoot

Common Shadbush

Pin Cherry

Yellow Wood Sorrel

Whitlow Grass

Callery Pear

Wake Robin

Jack-in-the-pulpit

Marsh Marigold

Dwarf Ginseng

Wood Anemone

Sessile-leaved Bellwort

Common Blue Violet

Thyme-leaved Sandwort

Small-flowered Crowfoot

Selkirk’s Violet

In addition to these, I also observed Bloodroot, but I found only one unopened bud; all of the other specimens had already dropped their white petals and were forming seedpods. Alas, I’ll have to wait another whole year to see them in bloom again! (So, here’s a peek at a bloom from a prior year – enjoy!)

I’m not sure which destination may have a lot of flowers in bloom, but I don’t go to many different sites in any given year. I’m presently inventorying 3 sites and none of those presently have lots in bloom.